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Military Forces of House Ryalor
General Organization The present ground forces of the House number consist of a standing army of approximately fifteen thousand, representing roughly five to ten percent of the present population under its control, organized into three regiments of five thousand beasts led by a brigadier general. These regiments are subdivided into battalions of one thousand beasts led by colonels, and these battalions are further subdivided into companies of one hundred beasts led by captains, with senior captains in command of multiple companies referred to as majors. In addition to these listed forces, the House maintains substantial semiprofessional militia forces numbering roughly twenty-five to thirty at any given moment. Though these troops would be slaughtered in sustained fighting against professional soldiers, and are not trained nor designed to campaign far from their homes, they can hold their own long enough to buy time for the more organized forces to arrive and serve as a valuable reserve in the event any of the professional battalions are destroyed, as they are able to be trained much faster than a group of green recruits. Overall, in times of crisis, the House is presently able to raise a force of about forty thousand soldiers, or roughly one third of the total local population in a relatively short timespan without facing utter economic ruin. With regards to the Ryalorian Navy, it is quite small and mostly composed of large, bulky transport ships designed to carry large numbers of troops and smaller frigates designed for coastal defense in conjunction with strategically placed land-based artillery and anti-pirate activities.It is estimated that their present total fleet numbers less than three dozen, with barely a half-score of modern frigate escorts, meaning that unless escorted they would be easy prey for any naval power on long journeys. 'First Regiment': *Battalion I: Stationed at Storm's Peak. *Battalion II: Stationed at Storm's Peak. *Battalion III: Stationed at Storm's Peak. *Battalion IV "Coldwind Guards": Stationed in Peltarra. *Battalion V: Stationed in Peltarra. 'Second Regiment' *Battalion VI: In the field: Attacking Nylan. *Battalion VII: In the field: Attacking Nylan. *Battaltion VIII: In the field: Attacking Nylan. *Battalion IX: In the field: Attacking Nylan. *Battalion X: In the field: Attacking Nylan. 'Third Regiment' *Battalion XI: In the field: Attacking Nylan. *Battalion XII: In the field: Attacking Nylan. *Battalion XIII: In the field: Occupying Hirta. *Battalion XIV:In the field: Occupying Hirta. *Battalion X: In Reserve: Occupying Hirta. 'Specialized Military Forces' 'Mistcloaks: ' The Mistcloaks are the elite infiltration forces of House Ryalor, extremely selective and used in missions of the high value and priority. They are vaguely synonymous to the M.A.U.L. in the Imperium, except much more military-minded, being more commandos than intelligence operatives, and far fewer in number. Each Mistcloak carries a carefully woven and painstakingly crafted cloak that is their namesake, the coloring being a mixture of dark greens, browns, and greys, that affords excellent concealment in a wide range of environments and situations, as well as the most recent Fyadorian innovations. Their training is well-rounded, with each Mistcloak being at least a bluescarf in the Way of the Steadfast Storm , capable with either a longbow or a crossbow, as well as a wide range of skillsets covering everything from lockpicking to basic field medicine. While official numbers have never been publicly revealed, the high degree of training coupled with the cost of their equipment and the present modest financial means of the House would suggest that the number is below that of a single company, perhaps below that of a half a company. 'Coldwind Guards: ' The Coldwind Guards are an elite battalion of the House with a history spanning over one thousand years, taking their name from their traditional training in the harsh Auldarian Mountains of Eastisle. While disbanded following the People's Revolution of 1710, the Guards have been reformed by Lord Regent Alexei to once more faithfully serve the House. They have become something of an experiment developed in response to the technological and strategic developments in the Vulpine Imperium and other lands, intended to eventually serve as a blueprint battalion for a more modernized force. While Fyadorian mass infantry tactics have traditionally been centered around proficiency in melee combat supported by artillery with archers playing an auxiliary role, with training placing a heavy emphasis on individual skill and development, this has proven to be a lengthy and costly way of raising armies. The present battalion's training has instead been modeled on that of The Stoatorian Guard, with an emphasis not on individual skill, but on group coordination and mass infantry tactics. The traditional spear and katana armament of the average soldier has been modified, replaced with a crossbow intended to be used with various volley fire tactics. Traditional forms of artillery have been redesigned and expanded-previously, Fyadorian repeating ballistae were used mostly behind defensive fortifications, and tended to veer on the small side. Two new variants have since been developed-large mobile ballistae with slow manueverability and longer reloading times but with greater power and longer range intended to take out enemy artillery pieces, and smaller, short-range variants with faster reloading speeds, shorter range, and better manueverability intended to deal with enemy infantry. Other artillery pieces have also been rumored to be subject to a redesign-though they have so far remained sequestered deep in the mountains for testing. 'Military Tactics:' Fire-By-Rank: Presently experimental in the Coldwind Guards, this tactic involves arraying a battalion armed with crossbows in three long lines. When engaging an enemy, the order to aim is not given. Instead, soldiers are simply informed to “level arms” and then fire, utilizing a mass volley of crossbow bolts instead of accurate individual fire. After firing, the first line will kneel and begin reloading. The second line, slightly offset, will then fire from a standing position. The third rank then fires through the gaps left by the second line's offset. By the time the third rank has fired, the first rank is ready to shoot once more. This strategy is effective for three reasons: it takes far, far less time to train crossbowmen, it allows for the massive morale shock of hundreds of crossbows being fired at once, and allows officers to better control their archers until their opponents are within a killing range. Skirmishes with other Fyadorian forces have seen this method used quite effectively, especially on level terrain, often causing even experienced troops to route after two full volleys, intimidated by the sheer organization and panic. Used in conjunction with artillery platoon fire, an opposing army will be continuously under heavy ranged assault, suffering heavy casualties until they are able to close in. Fire-By-Platoon: With the advent of modern, large-scale warfare, House Ryalor needed to develop a flexible system of artillery fire that would ensure that their opponents would never stop coming under sustained, organized artillery fire. Unwilling to continue with the inefficiency and chaos of simply firing-at-will, they have instead developed an ingenious system whereby artillery pieces are divided into platoons-with ballistae, this ranges from between two to six pieces grouped together. These ballistae are then lined up in large horizontal columns. When the order to fire is given, platoon fire begins from either the right or left end of the column, with each following platoon firing one to three seconds later. By the time the last platoon has fired, the first platoon is ready to fire once more, ensuring a broiling, continuous line of artillery fire slamming into their opponents without pause. Category:House Ryalor Category:Information